When I transferred into Georgia Tech during my undergraduate tenure I had a lot of school slang to catch up on.  My fellow students would talk about having the “word” on different professors/classes.  Although I wasn’t initially impressed because I had Microsoft Word on my computer already, I learned the “word” refers to previous exams on file at the different fraternities and sororities.  Tech students would also complain about the Ratio (the ratio of male to female students on campus) and because of the Ratio frustrated students would also use the phrase TBS.   As I started to write this post I was shocked to find the phrase must have gained some notoriety as it now has its own urban dictionary definition:

Tech Bitch Syndrom---Typically used on girl from Georgia Tech but can be substituted for any school with a larger male population. The girl, commonly uncool when surround by girls from other schools, becomes a bitch when many desperate college guys realize that is all they have.

That girl has major TBS, she took my alcohol and left.

Reflecting back on college, it made me wonder when was the last time you or your skills were in high demand?  I started thinking about tech workers and how these high demand employees can have their pick of assignments much like the ladies of the Georgia Institute of Technology had their choice of beaus.  Companies in need of tech talent are lined up to offer positions and need to find ways to distinguish themselves from the competition.

In undergrad just like in recruitment, I had to know what makes me, and my company, unique.  You have to be authentic.  I might be able to get my foot in the door by stealing someone else’s shtick, but it is not going to help me long term if I try to be someone else.  

I share this line all the time too but it’s important to remember - desperation is a stinky cologne.  You have to have some confidence that you and your company are a good catch.  You can set up the relationship 90% of the way but you have to let your candidate come that last 10% on their own.  People attach a higher value to things they have to work a bit for.  If it comes too easily it will also be easy to walk away from.

You have to connect and engage as people first.   What do you have in common?  What are they interested in?  Are you and your company a good match for their long-term or short-term goals?  You build out trust with your candidates with open, direct and honest communication.  The candidate experience is a lot like a relationship.  You may find that after “dating” that you and the candidate are not going to be a good fit, but if you built your trust properly, while this relationship did not end with a hire, it may end with a beneficial friendship of referrals and future opportunities.

Learning to successfully connect and engage with these workers and candidates is a necessary skill if you are going to be an effective tech recruiter. Join us for a special webinar How to Engage Tech Talent like a Pro. August 18, 2015, with Amy Ala, Staffing Consultant at Microsoft, as she shares all the tips, hacks, and best practices to engage the top tech talent.